ENH261 Terminalia buceras: Black Olive1 Edward F. Gilman, Dennis G. Watson, Ryan W. Klein, Andrew K. Koeser, Deborah R. Hilbert, and Drew C. McLean2 Introduction Though commonly called `Black olive tree’, this native of the upper Florida Keys (some consider it native, others do not) is not the edible olive we know and love, but does produce a small, black seed-capsule. Black olive is a 40 to 50-foot-tall evergreen tree with a smooth trunk holding up strong, wind-resistant branches, forming a pyramidal shape when young but developing a very dense, full, oval to rounded crown with age. Sometimes the top of the crown will flatten with age, and the tree grows horizontally. The lush, dark green, leathery leaves are two to four inches long and clustered at branch tips, sometimes mixed with the 1/4 to 1 ½-inch-long spines found along the branches. General Information Scientific name: Terminalia buceras Pronunciation: ter-mih-NAIL-ee-uh bew-SER-azz Common name(s): black olive, oxhorn bucida Family: Combretaceae USDA hardiness zones: 10B through 11 (Figure 2) Origin: native to the West Indies Figure 1. Full Form - Terminalia buceras: black olive UF/IFAS Invasive Assessment Status: Caution, may be Credits: UF/IFAS recommended but manage to prevent escape (South); Not considered a problem species at this time, may be recom- Uses: hedge; reclamation; street without sidewalk; shade; mended (North and Central) specimen; tree lawn 4–6 feet wide; tree lawn > 6 ft wide; urban tolerant; highway median; indoors 1. This document is ENH261, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2018. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. 2. Edward F. Gilman, professor emeritus, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, former associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department; Ryan W. Klein, graduate assistant, Environmental Horticulture Department, Gainesville, FL 32611; Andrew K. Koeser, assistant professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), Wimauma, FL 33598; Deborah R. Hilbert, graduate assistant, Environmental Horticulture Department, GCREC; and Drew C. McLean, biological scientist, Environmental Horticulture Department, GCREC; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Leaf type and persistence: evergreen Leaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches Leaf color: dark green on top, paler green underneath Fall color: no color change Fall characteristic: not showy Flower Flower color: creamy yellow to light brown Flower characteristics: not showy; urn-shaped; emerges in clusters on long spikes Flowering: spring and summer Figure 2. Range. Description Height: 40 to 50 feet Spread: 35 to 50 feet Crown uniformity: irregular Crown shape: oval, round Crown density: dense Growth rate: fast Texture: fine Foliage Leaf arrangement: alternate (Figure 7) Leaf type: simple Leaf margin: entire Leaf shape: obovate, oblanceolate Leaf venation: brachidodrome, pinnate Figure 4. Flower - Terminalia buceras: black olive Credits: UF/IFAS Fruit Fruit shape: oval Fruit length: ¼ to ½ inch Fruit covering: fleshy drupe Fruit color: black Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; showy; fruit/ leaves a litter problem Fruiting: ripens mid to late summer Trunk and Branches Trunk/branches: branches droop; not showy; typically one trunk; thorns Bark: brown and smooth, becoming rough and fissured with age Pruning requirement: needed for strong structure Breakage: resistant Figure 3. Leaf - Terminalia buceras: black olive Current year twig color: gray Credits: UF/IFAS Terminalia buceras: Black olive 2 Current year twig thickness: thin, medium Other Wood specific gravity: unknown Roots: not a problem Winter interest: no Outstanding tree: no Ozone sensitivity: unknown Verticillium wilt susceptibility: unknown Pest resistance: resistant to pests/diseases Use and Management The inconspicuous, small, greenish-yellow flowers are produced in 4-inch-long spikes during spring and summer and eventually form the black fruits which, unfortunately, exude a staining tannic acid material which could damage patios, sidewalks, or vehicles parked below. Besides this one Figure 5. Canopy - Terminalia buceras: black olive drawback, Black olive is beautifully suited as a street, shade, Credits: UF/IFAS or specimen tree for frost-free areas, but is probably over- planted. There are many native trees which could be used in its place, including satin leaf, gumbo-limbo and others. Black olive grows slowly and should be planted in full sun or partial shade on well-drained, moist soils. Plants may be slightly damaged at 32°F, but are killed at 25°F. Trees may show chlorosis on high pH soils. Propagation is by seeds (with difficulty) or layering. Pests and Diseases No pests or diseases are of major concern but occasionally bothered by sooty mold and bark borer. Eryphide mites cause galls but no control is needed. References Koeser, A. K., Hasing, G., Friedman, M. H., and Irving, R. B. 2015. Trees: North & Central Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Koeser, A.K., Friedman, M.H., Hasing, G., Finley, H., Schelb, J. 2017. Trees: South Florida and the Keys. Univer- sity of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Figure 6. Bark - Terminalia buceras: black olive Credits: Gitta Hasing, UF/IFAS Culture Light requirement: full sun to partial shade Soil tolerances: sand; loam; clay; acidic; alkaline; moist but well-drained Drought tolerance: high Aerosol salt tolerance: high Terminalia buceras: Black olive 3.